Mauricio Pochettino

[Borodin55]

Poch has been unhappy at least since the CL final. In interviews he's up and down, touchy, defensive. I can only think he doesn't believe he's got the squad to take us forward, and that has transmitted itself to the players. He seems especially resentful towards Levy and the board for not delivering, particularly after last year's achievements and after he turned down Real Madrid. Understandable, but you have to move on, and it is not clear that he has been able to.

That's the only way I can explain the sad transformation, because no doubt he was brilliant, and I believe he still has it in him, just maybe not with us.

After mid week I thought he had a chance to turn a corner. But mistakes like today are how you start to lose the players, including guys like Kane and Son who still try their hearts out. Benching Ndombele after a breakthrough game midweek, picking Eriksen when he's offered next to nothing all season and openly says he wants to leave. Continuing to play Rose over Davies. Refusing to play Lo Celso more than a few minutes, when our midfield has been on its knees since January.

If he's going to turn it round, he needs to find that belief and commitment, and fast. I can still just about see a way this turns round, but it's getting harder.

I really do admire the faith many of you have in Poch's ability to turn this around but as the saying goes which I have quoted on here before "Never look for happiness in the same place you lost it"
Surely you question his decision making regarding team selection or sit there screaming for a substitution to be made before we concede a goal ?. How long are you prepared to watch the team crumble before questioning his managerial capabilities ?. There has to be a watershed regarding his tenure, so just how close are we (or is Daniel Levy more importantly) to reaching that ?

We sit in 11th spot and a defeat at Everton would put them above us and we then perhaps hit 12th or 13th. At what point do the alarm sensors go off and the matter is seriously addressed rather than a "Ahhh it'll be fine" attitude ?

If we were in a top four spot, playing well and challenging for trophies then the 'Poch Out' voices would be stilled immediately but when is it that we reach the critical situation that silences the 'Poch In' camp ?

 

[Maccer]

His press conferences have been an unfathomable joke for quite a long time , a bit like his team selection and in game management, so he's not lacking in consistency at least.

Time's up , no point delaying the inevitable.

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

agree. I saw the comment and thought WTF?! then I watched the clip Boro put up....

Agree that the issue wasn’t Tanguy performance but being asked why he didn’t start. Also true that there is more space to play in final 30 than first 60 mins.

but also agree that Tanguy has to start!!

All you have to do is see the vast majority of comments about him in his own thread. The overriding observation is that he hasn't got 90min of PL intensity in him. He gets visibly gassed around the 60min mark. To me, at least, it made perfect sense for him not to start this game, I thought Poch would leave him out and bring him on against tiered LFC legs, I saw this as a far more effective use of his talent (which is also clear to see that he has) which is on the ball. Had he started we would have had him focus on the defensive side of his game, where he's got a lot of work to improve on this (his thread also reflects this feeling).

He's great, but not up to speed yet. He's better on the ball and helping the transition from Midfield to attack. He's not great without the ball, oppo run off him. IMO This is why he didn't start today, had he have stared we would have not seen the best of him and likely to have seen just the worst, there have been games where this was the case and not against the best or 2nd best team in the world right now, in their own back yard where they haven't lost for 45 games!! It was against much less convincing oppo.

Also, Poch consistently gets spikey when asked about selections, when we've been exceptional, average or poor, he's always reacted the same when asked to justify his selections.

 

[Allejo10]

This guy is a joke, completely lost in everything and thinking he will solve something with his shitty bussinessman bullshit talking. That said on Ndombele only comes to endorse his uncapability to judge a player. Joke!

 

[Incomplete_usernam]

No excuse mate, just a factual interpretation from the journo that asked the actual question.

I've seen you write many, many times on here arguing with people about selecting elements from what the manager says, being selective with what you want to take from an interview, whilst ignoring the entire interview or having it misrepresented with a media spin to something else.

I find it important and relevant to post what the journo who asked the question and therefore actually sat in the fucking room thought and interpreted his answer as that which I posted. If you choose to ignore that that's absolutely fine by me, I don't give a shit about it, just screams as hypocrisy from you though.

His answer in full context is no better though, if anything it just makes him look more arrogant because it proves he doesn't like his team selections being questioned.

I got that impression before the match as well when the journalist was questioning the diamond and him picking Eriksen etc.

The fact that he even had to question what Ndombele had done since coming on shows you he has no intention of changing his methods, he just didn't want to admit he was wrong for not playing him from the start.

That's what all this bollocks about taking 18 months to bed players in has been about as well, his refusal to take advice and criticism from outside because he believes he is too good for it.

Well the truth is, Poch isn't as good as he thinks he is or as good as some of our fans thinks he is either.

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

His answer in full context is no better though, if anything it just makes him look more arrogant because it proves he doesn't like his team selections being questioned.

I got that impression before the match as well when the journalist was questioning the diamond and him picking Eriksen etc.

The fact that he even had to question what Ndombele had done since coming on shows you he has no intention of changing his methods, he just didn't want to admit he was wrong for not playing him from the start.

That's what all this bollocks about taking 18 months to bed players in has been about as well, his refusal to take advice and criticism from outside because he believes he is too good for it.

Well the truth is, Poch isn't as good as he thinks he is or as good as some of our fans thinks he is either.

I don't think he was wrong at all for not starting with him, as per my reasons given a couple of posts above.

Eriksen is on record in saying that it took him 2 years for him to understand his role in this team. So again, I don't see any bollocks with that too.

 

[Mick Cooper]

No excuse mate, just a factual interpretation from the journo that asked the actual question.

I've seen you write many, many times on here arguing with people about selecting elements from what the manager says, being selective with what you want to take from an interview, whilst ignoring the entire interview or having it misrepresented with a media spin to something else.

I find it important and relevant to post what the journo who asked the question and therefore actually sat in the fucking room thought and interpreted his answer as that which I posted. If you choose to ignore that that's absolutely fine by me, I don't give a shit about it, just screams as hypocrisy from you though.

Perish the thought! Sammy, a hypocrite?
The very thought.
Sammy knows everything. Because he's real.

 

[Park Lane Mark Twain]

Out.

Tonight.

He was awful today, I've had enough and the players deserve better. Why wait until the 87th minute to bring Lucas on? Why wait until the the 88th minute to use Lo Celso? Why didn't Ndombele get a start or at least more minutes?

Our biggest issues last season were at full back and in CM. why are we still starting Rose, Aurier, Winks and Sissoko when we now have Sessegnon, Ndombele, GLC? Where were Lamela and Walker-Peters?

We sat back on a 1-0 and rode our luck. Look at how much better we looked once we went behind. Why does our mindset change, why the hell don't we learn that we need to go for the 2nd goal? Sadly Poch gets us playing like we are relegation fodder in our heads it simply isn't acceptable anymore. He says Lo Celso is months away from where he wants him yet continues to play Dele who has what one goal in his last twenty games? The bloke is in the clouds and it's starting to damage a rather gifted little team we have. Eriksen starting when he doesn't want to be here anymore yet Lucas clearly wants to be a Spurs player and gets a few minutes? It's a fucking disgrace I want a manager with a little more energy and more heart, he's a sulker and he's in denial with his agendas, whatever they are and whatever he's trying to get out of us.

Rose I read had a pass completion rate of something like 17-19%, how did he last the whole 90 and WHY was he taking free kicks when he hasn't assisted a goal for what must be about 2-3 seasons now? Fucking moronic decisions cost us a point at least today, time to show nobody is bigger than the club.

 

[Belgrano]

I really do admire the faith many of you have in Poch's ability to turn this around but as the saying goes which I have quoted on here before "Never look for happiness in the same place you lost it"
Surely you question his decision making regarding team selection or sit there screaming for a substitution to be made before we concede a goal ?. How long are you prepared to watch the team crumble before questioning his managerial capabilities ?. There has to be a watershed regarding his tenure, so just how close are we (or is Daniel Levy more importantly) to reaching that ?

We sit in 11th spot and a defeat at Everton would put them above us and we then perhaps hit 12th or 13th. At what point do the alarm sensors go off and the matter is seriously addressed rather than a "Ahhh it'll be fine" attitude ?

If we were in a top four spot, playing well and challenging for trophies then the 'Poch Out' voices would be stilled immediately but when is it that we reach the critical situation that silences the 'Poch In' camp ?

The reason I have tried to keep the faith is that the potential upside is still very big with Poch. There's been no-one else in my lifetime that has added so much as manager. The chances of finding another as good are small. And I think the reasons for his starting to fail are still potentially reversible. So, I'm prepared to give him longer than I would a manager who hasn't shown the same ability. But yes there will come a point of no return. You think we're past it already whereas I'm still holding out (for now).

 

[Borodin55]

The reason I have tried to keep the faith is that the potential upside is still very big with Poch. There's been no-one else in my lifetime that has added so much as manager. The chances of finding another as good are small. And I think the reasons for his starting to fail are still potentially reversible. So, I'm prepared to give him longer than I would a manager who hasn't shown the same ability. But yes there will come a point of no return. You think we're past it already whereas I'm still holding out (for now).

Respectfully asking ...what is that point of no return for you ? What stage or position in the league do we have to be at before you say 'enough is enough' ??

 

[Incomplete_usernam]

I don't think he was wrong at all for not starting with him, as per my reasons given a couple of posts above.

Eriksen is on record in saying that it took him 2 years for him to understand his role in this team. So again, I don't see any bollocks with that too.

If it's taking two years for a player to understand his role in a team that says more about the poor management and coaching than it does about a player.

Seems like you are trying to find excuses for Poch and his poor management to me.

How is Eriksen starting games for example given the fact he was our worst player by a country mile today and his shit attitude? Poch can bang on about how long it takes for players to settle but anybody with a pair of fucking eyeballs can see Eriksen is shit this season and doesn't deserve to play, Lo Celso would have to be a pretty terrible footballer to put in a worse performance than Eriksen currently.

So yeah, I am not buying the Ndombele being tired excuse, I just think Poch doesn't know how to manage these players and the more likely explanation is that it takes HIM 2 years to figure out what to do with them.

 

[Joe Clash]

Defend this comment from Poch you bunch of absolute fucking morons

I’m not going to defend that comment ( if indeed he did say it) but you were calling Ndombele a ‘fat slug’ last week. Maybe he was just agreeing with you?

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

If it's taking two years for a player to understand his role in a team that says more about the poor management and coaching than it does about a player.

Seems like you are trying to find excuses for Poch and his poor management to me.

How is Eriksen starting games for example given the fact he was our worst player by a country mile today and his shit attitude? Poch can bang on about how long it takes for players to settle but anybody with a pair of fucking eyeballs can see Eriksen is shit this season and doesn't deserve to play, Lo Celso would have to be a pretty terrible footballer to put in a worse performance than Eriksen currently.

So yeah, I am not buying the Ndombele being tired excuse, I just think Poch doesn't know how to manage these players and the more likely explanation is that it takes HIM 2 years to figure out what to do with them.

No it doesn't. Eriksen said this 2yrs after Poch turned up, we were fucking brilliant then, so sorry don't get your take on bad management, unless you were calling for his head then? Eriksen was also fucking good in those first two years, just not in tune 100% what was required, it was referenced at the time that it was what he was doing without the ball that he had to understand. Where you calling for his head then, or only this year?

Mate, if you haven't noticed Ndombele blowing out of his arse after 60mins then I'm sorry I have no idea who you have Ndombele confused with. He literally is on his knees come 60mins unable to contribute anymore. Again, I think not playing him from the start was tactically smart and played to his strengths, rather having his weakness exposed, this is the very definition of good management.

 

[Joe Clash]

"Never look for happiness in the same place you lost it"

I don’t think you can apply this kind of homespun whimsy to the running of one of the world’s biggest football clubs. It’s just a soundbite at best.

 

[Belgrano]

Respectfully asking ...what is that point of no return for you ? What stage or position in the league do we have to be at before you say 'enough is enough' ??

Personally I was waiting to see how the team would perform once new signings were fit and integrated. We need to move on from Eriksen, Alderweireld, Rose. If he can't see that and continues to leave out Ndombele and Lo Celso etc in big games, the end won't be far off.

 

[Joe Clash]

Personally I was waiting to see how the team would perform once new signings were fit and integrated. We need to move on from Eriksen, Alderweireld, Rose. If he can't see that and continues to leave out Ndombele and Lo Celso etc in big games, the end won't be far off.

Yes, let’s at least see what the new signings can do, however Poch talking about 18 months to 2 years is clearly nonsense.

 

[Incomplete_usernam]

No it doesn't. Eriksen said this 2yrs after Poch turned up, we were fucking brilliant then, so sorry don't get your take on bad management, unless you were calling for his head then? Eriksen was also fucking good in those first two years, just not in tune 100% what was required, it was referenced at the time that it was what he was doing without the ball that he had to understand. Where you calling for his head then, or only this year?

Mate, if you haven't noticed Ndombele blowing out of his arse after 60mins then I'm sorry I have no idea who you have Ndombele confused with. He literally is on his knees come 60mins unable to contribute anymore. Again, I think not playing him from the start was tactically smart and played to his strengths, rather having his weakness exposed, this is the very definition of good management.

I am saying that I don't think our success is down to Poch and his tactical mastery, our success under Poch has always, imo, been down to his ability to squeeze the best attitude out of players, to have them run through brick walls for him.

I think he has lost that now because of natural aging of players and him believing his own hype far too much to the point that he sticks with what's not working, even if it goes against all logic.

The reality is, it shouldn't take any player two years to understand how a managers system works, I think we have had success under Poch in spite of that flaw but it's no longer working.

The saints fans spoke about all his flaws as a manager, things I was concerned about at the time, picking favourites, runs players into the ground etc but because of our success it was easy to dismiss these things, we had a young team that had endless energy and would make up for the lack of tactical ability in the manager, that isn't the case anymore.

What you are saying is subjective, Ndombele has been one of our most productive players this season, people say Kane is tired all the time and yet he keeps on scoring for us, would you drop Kane because he was "blowing out of his arse" by 60 mins?

Good management is playing your best 11 consistently, something that Poch rarely ever does imo, instead he picks his favourites, he allows his ego to interfere with his logic, that much is evident in the fact that he persists with Eriksen when we have a player like Lamela on the bench who has heaps of energy and would offer far more to the team in that position than Eriksen currently does.

 

[OldBoy68]

All you have to do is see the vast majority of comments about him in his own thread. The overriding observation is that he hasn't got 90min of PL intensity in him. He gets visibly gassed around the 60min mark

Play him for an hour then. Replace him with another option when we need to shore up. Stupid suggestion because that would mean we make a sub with more than 8 minutes to go.

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

Play him for an hour then. Replace him with another option when we need to shore up. Stupid suggestion because that would mean we make a sub with more than 8 minutes to go.

I completely disagree. In my previous explanation, I believe we need to get the best from him, which is when he's on the ball, playing him for the first hour (against the 1st or 2nd best team in the world right now, in their back yard where no one has beaten them in 45 consecutive games) would have seen him play defensively, only exposing his weakness! Bringing him on against tiered LFC legs would mean he can get on the ball more, which is where his strengths lie. He simply isn't up to the pace of the league yet, this would have been even more exposed against LFC and their intensity.

 

[Berserker]

The reports of poch and levy are like Siamese twins must be true. I can't understand how this guy can carry on